Obama gets ahead of Romney on Israel

FILE - In this March 5, 2012 file photo, President Barack Obama meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington. Washington's political praise has reached a crescendo ahead of Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney's anticipated visit this weekend with Netanyahu in Israel. Their relationship has spanned decades, since their brief overlap in the 1970s at the Boston Consulting Group. Both worked as advisers for the firm early in their careers, before Romney co-founded his own private-equity firm. Romney in a speech this week called Israel ěone of our fondest friends,î and criticized President Barack Obama over what he called the administration's ěshabby treatmentî of Israel. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais, File)

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama is reaffirming U.S. ties with Israel, upstaging Mitt Romney one day before the Republican challenger visits Jerusalem.

The White House says Obama will sign legislation Friday that expands military and civilian cooperation with Israel. The bill passed by voice vote in the House last week. The bill reiterates U.S. support for a negotiated two-state solution in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Romney is a critic of Obama’s policy toward Israel. He will arrive in Jerusalem on Saturday as part of an overseas trip that includes Britain and Poland.

The White House subtly injected itself into Romney’s trip on Thursday after Romney caused a stir by calling London’s problems with Olympics preparation “disconcerting.” White House spokesman Jay Carney said Obama “has the utmost confidence” in Britain’s ability to host the games.

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Obama planned to continue competing with Romney for attention during the opening ceremonies of the Olympic Games, which Romney was scheduled to attend while in London.

The Obama campaign was airing an ad for American audiences during the opening ceremonies featuring Obama promoting his middle-class political pitch.

“I believe that the way you grow the economy is from the middle out,” Obama says in the ad, echoing a standard campaign refrain. “I believe in fighting for the middle class because if they are prospering, all of us will prosper.”

With the ad, Obama guarantees himself a presence during opening ceremonies despite the free media Romney might get by being there in person.